


the ties that bind

by antikytheras



Series: Sympathy for the Devil [3]
Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Demon!Leon, Domestic Fluff, Humor, M/M, Weddings, im going to hell for this, wedding vows are basically demonic contracts right
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-03-03
Packaged: 2021-02-22 23:56:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23002450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antikytheras/pseuds/antikytheras
Summary: Later, in hindsight, he will think that there are perhaps a hundred and one ways this should have gone better.The ancient fossil of a wedding minister standing behind the podium clears his throat. The room falls silent.‘All rise for the…’ he pauses nervously. ‘The, uh, other groom.’Not for the first time, Raihanimmenselyregrets his decision not to elope.
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan
Series: Sympathy for the Devil [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1653688
Comments: 36
Kudos: 277





	the ties that bind

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Eternity in a Second](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22701553) by [Verti](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Verti/pseuds/Verti). 



> this can be read as a standalone, but is probably much more enjoyable if you have prior knowledge of the fic this is based on

Later, in hindsight, he will think that there are perhaps a hundred and one ways this should have gone better.

Raihan tugs at the stiff collar of his suit. The wedding chapel is bright and modern, white walls and glazed marble floors illuminated by a stained-glass window that looks more delicate lace than solid glass. The pews are dark Peruvian walnut topped with exquisite bundles of white hydrangea. Strings of glass teardrops fall from each bouquet of flowers.

It’s beautiful. It makes him sick to his stomach.

His parents had been beside themselves with fury when they had found out about his relationship with Leon, both on account of the fact that Leon was (as far as they were aware) a man, and perhaps more importantly, because they had found out about their only son’s engagement through a hashtag trending on social media.

The resulting shouting match had almost been as bad as the one that had followed his apostasy all those years ago, but eventually, his parents had swallowed their pride and agreed to uphold their delicate, tenuous arrangement and accept Leon on the condition that Raihan have a so-called “proper wedding”.

Frankly, Raihan could not possibly give less of a flying fuck what his parents thought of him, or his relationship with Leon, but over the years they had fallen into a tense-but-comfortable rhythm. After the events of the unfortunate demonic cult summoning, there had been no contact, no demands for money, no guilt-tripping or emotional manipulation to bring him back into the dark waters of their twisted baptism. Everything had been so peaceful, until Raihan had gotten a phone call and they had screamed at him like he was still their foolish-little-boy.

Leon had been ready to paint the walls with their blood and intestines, but Raihan had simply waved his concern off and calmly told them, ‘You can call me back _after_ you’ve calmed down.’

And when they did, they came bringing their conditions, and Raihan had made a distant noise and told them that he would think about it.

‘They want it done properly,’ he had said to Leon, once he had hung up.

It was clear that Leon had murder on his mind. ‘They want _what_ done properly?’

‘The wedding.’ Raihan shrugged. None of this had been surprising to him. In fact, it had almost been a favourable trade. ‘Y’know, good proper church vows and everything.’

The bitter, longing look entered Leon’s eyes again. Raihan knew of Leon’s complicated feelings for the symbols of his long-burned past, and so he had put a hand over his partner’s tight-clenched fist.

‘I can just tell them to fuck off.’

‘No.’ Leon shook his head and squeezed Raihan’s hand back. ‘It’s fine. We can do it.’

And that is how Raihan finds himself standing at the end of the wedding aisle in the most beautiful chapel he has ever seen in his life.

His parents had gone all out for the event. Grudgingly, he has to admit that the setting is almost perfect for his public image. Their wedding had been the hottest topic of the decade, so it had been almost inevitable that it would be filled with too-many-people and too-many-obligations. Already, the media is almost certainly having a field day with the understated opulence, and his business partners are happily shooting photos and videos of the wrought-iron pavilions and rose-woven decorations.

The ancient fossil of a wedding minister standing behind the podium clears his throat. The room falls silent.

‘All rise for the…’ he pauses nervously. ‘The, uh, other groom.’

Not for the first time, Raihan _immensely_ regrets his decision not to elope.

The guests seated in the pews rise. He makes eye contact with his mother, dressed in a dark blue dress that only makes the lines in her face even deeper.

He looks away.

The huge, imposing double doors at the other end of the room swing open, and Piers is walking Leon down the aisle.

When Raihan meets Leon’s golden eyes, the noisy static of the world melts away. All he sees is Leon, in a beautiful black suit that hugs perfectly around his shoulders and waist. Leon, with a single red rose in his breast pocket. Leon, looking back at him with an enthralled, breathless smile and all his love for humanity concentrated into the adoration he holds for Raihan.

(Part of him remembers to marvel at Piers too. His hair is as dishevelled as ever, but for some reason, just the sight of him in a well-fitted suit is enough to remind him that there’s a reason the rock star’s so popular.)

Once they reach the front of the chapel, Piers claps Leon on the back and leans in close, whispering something with devilish mischief in his eyes and a lazy smirk on his face.

Sometimes, Raihan wonders who the real demon in his life is.

Leon returns an amused smile of his own, but he only inclines his head and says nothing.

Alone, he walks to the spot opposite Raihan, and the minister begins to drone.

‘Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…’

It is easy to tune out the sermon when it gives him all the time in the world to admire Leon.

Soon enough, it is time for them to say their vows.

Leon goes first.

‘I pledge you my love for as long as I live. What I possess, I give to you. I will keep you and hold you, comfort and tend you, protect you and shelter you, for all the days of my life.’

Something thrums in the air.

Raihan’s heart hammers in his chest when he speaks the words he has heard so many times, but never thought he would ever say for himself.

‘I take you to be my friend, my lover, and my husband. I will be yours in times of plenty and times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care for and to protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you for all eternity.’

When the last line leaves his lips, the electricity around them builds to an unbearable, searing heat.

All he sees is Leon’s eyes glowing bright and golden in the shadow of the cross stretching over them.

He vaguely hears the minister stumble over pronouns when telling them that now is the socially acceptable time to kiss, and that is all he needs to reach for his husband and seal their newly-forged bond.

The world spins, round and round, like a top.

Watch it go.

There is fire, and brimstone, and a great, awful roaring in his ears.

He sees pearly gates and marble statues greyed with ash and dust, but only for a moment, before the ground beneath his feet crumbles and he plummets to the emptiness below.

The wind howling around him is sharp and rips at the fabric of his existence. He is scared and afraid and his wings _won’t work, why won’t they_ —

In the corner of his vision, he sees his lovely snow-white feathers burn, and then the fire creeps in and blackens his very soul and he has no voice to scream with and he goes down, down, _down_ —

He wakes breathing sulphur in the arms of a shadowy figure.

All around him is a vast expanse of red miasma, and some strange, twisted distortions, just out of view—

The figure looks down, and Raihan’s gaze is drawn, like a magnet, to those familiar yellow eyes.

‘Leon,’ he gasps, and the demon motions for him to be quiet before resting one gentle clawed hand over his eyes.

All he sees is darkness.

‘WHAT IS THISSSSS, CHAMPION?’ The voice is the buzz and heat of a million vibrating angry bees.

‘I… This is—’

‘WE DID NOT AUTHORISSZSE THISSSS.’

‘Yes. Well. It was something of an accident—’

The buzzing grows louder. ‘YOU PROMISSSED NO MORE ACCIDENTSSSS.’

‘Yes. Well. Um. You see, this is kind of a _happy_ accident—'

‘ENOUGH EXCUSSZESSSS. GIVE USSS THE SSSSSOUL.’

The darkness wraps tighter around Raihan. ‘No.’

Raihan feels something cruel lashing out, but Leon shields him with his own body.

‘WHAT ISSS THISZS INSSSUBOURDINATION, CHAMPION?’

Leon tightens his grip, and for an instant, the darkness gives way to the starlight dotting the galaxies. ‘This one is _mine_.’

Raihan’s heart leaps at the snarl in his demon husband’s voice.

‘AND YOU ANSWER TO USSS, SO YOUR QUOTA FALLSSS UNDER OUR JURISSZSDICTION—'

Leon pushes on, unfazed. ‘The covenant was forged on holy ground.’

‘WHAT IN THE SEVEN HELLSSS WERE YOU DOING FORGING COVENANTSSS ON HOLY GROUND?’

There is a long pause.

‘PLEASSZSE DON’T TELL USSS YOU DID WHAT WE THINK YOU DID.’

‘I _like_ him,’ Leon says plaintively. ‘Okay?’

The buzzing hesitates.

‘WHAT ARE WE SSSSUPPOSSZED TO TELL HIS MOST EVIL EXCELLENCY, SUPREME LEADER OF THE HORDE, THE INFERNAL CHAIRMAN?’

‘I don’t know,’ Leon snaps, and the buzzing shrinks back even further. ‘Just say that it’s a human pet or something.’

‘HE WILL WANT TO SSSEE IT FOR HIMSSELF. YOU KNOW HOW HE ISSS WHEN IT COMESSZS TO YOU.’

‘Well, just… Send me a message before he comes, and I’ll figure something out.’

There is the gnashing of a million sets of serrated teeth. ‘YOU GAVE TOO MUCH OF YOURSSSELF TO THE MORTAL. LOOK AT THE HELLFIRE IN ITSSZS EYESSSS. THERE WILL BE NO WAY TO HIDE ANY OF THISSS.’

Against his better judgement all but _screaming_ at him to stay out of the infernal conversation, Raihan worms out from under Leon’s claw, keeping his eyes screwed shut, and pipes up, ‘Will it make you feel better if I mentioned that I have more than sixty million people worshipping my image?’

The buzzing is silent for a long moment, like it does not know what to do with this turn of events. Then, it buzzes contemplatively. ‘THAT DOESSS SSSOUND TASSSTY.’

‘Leviticus 26:1,’ Raihan reminds it. For brownie points.

Somehow, it works.

The hesitation in the greater demon’s voice turns to childish delight. ‘OH, IT ISSS AN APOSSSTATE? WHY DID YOU NOT MENTION THISSS EARLIER?’ The buzzing sounds cross. ‘VERY WELL. WE WILL COVER FOR YOU, CHAMPION, BUT THISSS ISSS THE LASSST TIME, DO YOU UNDERSSSTAND?’

Leon firmly claps a claw over Raihan’s entire face again. Raihan has never been more grateful to stare into an endless ocean of galaxies.

‘Thank you. I’ll bring a gift next time. A proper one.’

‘WE ARE SSSTILL WAITING FOR THAT HI-FIDELITY VERSSZSION OF THE BOHEMIAN RHAPSSSODY,’ it reminds Leon, and Leon laughs.

‘I will come bearing vinyl,’ he promises, and it vibrates in unholy delight.

‘GET OUT OF OUR DOMAIN,’ it howls. ‘AND MAKE SSSURE YOU FILE YOUR TAX RETURN PROPERLY THISSS YEAR. YOU CAN CLAIM DEPENDENTSSS, YOU KNOW.’

In the next instant, all is gone.

The spinning top stops.

Watch where it falls.

Raihan breaks the kiss and opens his eyes.

For a second, he sees his own eyes, too-bright and too-blue, reflected in Leon’s own golden pools, but he blinks, and the moment is gone.

Before he can even _think_ of asking any questions, Leon leans in for another kiss, and Raihan finds himself all-too-eager to comply.

His heart thuds painfully in his chest, but the sweetness in his new husband-slash-contracted-demon’s kiss is enough to soothe the worst of it away.

 _Later_ , is the unspoken promise nestled in the breath between them.

For now, they break apart to raucous cheers (from the side of the room bursting with Raihan’s friends and acquaintances) and impersonal, polite applause (from the side holding Raihan’s family and the press).

The rest of the day is a blur of faces, interviews, and the occasional request for photos with the newlyweds.

When the party finally ends, Raihan is exhausted.

Leon, on the other hand, seems to have some infinite supply of energy, what with how he carries Raihan to their hotel room with a spring in his step.

At this point, Raihan doesn’t care if the paparazzi is around to see him getting carried bridal-style. His feet _hurt_ , dammit.

Once they are safe within the walls of their hotel suite, Leon tosses Raihan on the bed like he’s transporting a sack of potatoes off a delivery truck.

Then he’s crawling between Raihan’s legs with a smile on his face and a hungry glint in his eyes, but before Leon can so much as reach for Raihan’s belt, Raihan has his demon husband’s head firmly locked between his knees.

He keeps him there with a pointed glare. ‘What the _fuck_ happened back there?’

The hungry look immediately drains from Leon’s face. He quickly slips out of Raihan’s thigh lock, both arms held up in surrender.

‘I swear, I had no idea—’

‘Was I in Hell? Like, capital H _Hell_?’

Leon looks a little nervous. ‘Er. Well. It would depend on your _definition_ of—’

‘Who _was_ that?’ Raihan demands. ‘Since when did you have a boss?’

‘I mean, that’s not my boss so much as it is my secretary, really—’

Raihan’s voice cracks when he repeats, ‘The Lord of the Flies is your _secretary_?’

A look of intense relief crosses Leon’s face. ‘Oh, thank the hells you didn’t invoke its real name—’

He pushes that mental image out of his mind. Raihan doesn’t even want to imagine the greater demon manifesting on his wedding night.

Leon leans back and sits with his legs neatly folded underneath him. ‘Don’t say anything and just give me a moment to explain.’

Raihan nods.

‘I think we accidentally added some new terms to our contract.’

Raihan immediately breaks the silence when he hisses, ‘That tells me absolutely _nothing_ —’

‘Like. Um. Immortality. On your end.’

Raihan stares. ‘ _What_.’

‘You did say that you’d stay with me for all eternity,’ Leon says far-too-meekly.

Raihan gives him a suspicious stare. ‘Acting cute isn’t getting you out of this.’

‘It was the wedding vows,’ Leon says. He looks absolutely miserable. ‘You know I’ve never contracted with anyone before, I didn’t think heavenly promises could rewrite hell’s paperwork—’

A beat. ‘There’s _paperwork_ in hell?’

‘Oh yeah, loads. It’s a giant bureaucracy down there.’ Leon wrinkles his nose disdainfully. ‘Very boring.’

‘You file _tax returns_?’

‘Oh, you know. Living expenses and everything.’

Leon’s explanation is far too lofty to be anything but suspicious, but Raihan resolves to grill him on it later. Right now, he has more important matters to attend to.

‘So what’s happened to me?’

‘You’re mine,’ Leon says plainly, and Raihan doesn’t miss the possessive heat that momentarily flares in his suddenly shining golden eyes. ‘You sold me your soul and the promise of a healthy relationship for as long as I live, and as I’m sure you’ve noticed, I’ll live for a very long time.’

Raihan isn’t sure what to feel. ‘And what did I get in return?’

‘My eternal love and companionship and protection.’

He frowns. ‘Is that what your, uh, secretary was all tied up in knots about?’

Leon scratches the back of his head. ‘Well, yeah. Demons don’t usually write fair contracts, much less _mutual_ ones.’

They sit in silence for a minute.

‘I’m gonna need some time to take this all in,’ Raihan says at last.

Leon laughs, just a touch nervous. ‘Yeah, well, you’ve got all the time in the world.’

**Author's Note:**

> i'd like to imagine that all my years lurking in the good omens fandom have paid off in this moment
> 
> also, this is for all you troublemakers who said that leon's gonna outlive raihan
> 
> come yell at me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/syorobao)


End file.
